Compressed air soap



Jan, 26, 1932. wELTER 1,842,739

COMPRESSED AIR SOAP Original Filed May 2, 1929 Patented Jan. 26,1932

UNITED STATES" PATIENT OFFICE anew warren, or memo-mam, emm V eomranssnn-m soar original application filed Kay 23, 1929, Serial No. 860,008, and in Germany October 81, 1928. Divided and this application filed October 17, 1980. Serial No. 489;:85.

The present invention relates to an improved process for preparing soap powder from liquid grain soap.

It has hitherto been usual to produce soap 5 powder from liquid grain soap by heating-the latter in a closed vessel (autoclave) to a temperature exceeding 100? C., and then supplying the liquid grain soap under the pressure prevailing in the vessel to any atomizing apm paratus. Naturally, the soap solution is the more thinly liquid and, accordingly, the

atomization is the better, the higher the pressure prevailing in the vessel and therefore the temperature producing it. In order to secure these favourable conditions as much as possible, steam for example has been inj ected into the pressure vessel. However, the soap solution was so much diluted by this that the atomization was not efi'ected advantageously. Again, instead of injecting steam, the vessel containing the liquid grain soap has been heated'by means of heating devices from the exterior, i. e. by heating devices from which no steam could enter the vessel. However, the soap on the walls of the vessel then became so strongly heated, that solid masses ('inerustations) set on the walls, which masses acted, so to s eak, as heat insulators, and caused considera le waste of heat. This became very apparent, and was very disadvantageous articularly when filled soaps, i. e. soaps mixed with other additions such as, for example, water-glass, were treated. A further disadvantage also was that only large vessels could be used for working in, since only then could a uniform pressure be ensured, which is necessary for a good atomization. In this case, however, too great a space remains free over that part of the vessel filled with liquid, into which too much steam could escape from the liquid contents of the vessel. 'llhis loss of steam concen-.

trated the liquid too much, so that its drying up and therefore the formation of incrustations was very much favoured. On the other hand explosions were readily caused by these incrustations. It has now been found'that soap powder may be produced by the direct atomization of 5.) liquid grain soap easily and'advantageous'ly,

i. e. without too great an expenditure of heat,

. if the process is carried out'so that no appreciable quantities of solid material can deposit on the inner walls of the pressure vessel dur ing the heating of the grain soap in the latter to vessel. More particularly filled soaps may be advantageously treated in this way. By

filled soap is meant any soap containing one or several of the fillers known in the art, ve. g. water-glass, soda, potash, salts of phosso phoric acid, clay, fullers earth, etc. a

As means for. preventing solid material from setting on the walls of the vessel, the injection of steam as hi hly com' ressed and as superheated as possih the vessel space above the liquid'during the heating of the contents of the vessel to a temperature exceeding 100 0., serves pre-v eminently. Further, the amount of water which condenses from the steam under these 7 conditions'is not large enough to dilute the soap lye .too much. I

It is better so to proceed, however, that, preferably using heating devices from which no steam enters the vessel, a non-condensable Z5 gas, e g. usually air, is injected the part of the vessel space above the llqllld during the heating of-the contents of the yessel to a temperature exceeding 100 C. This alrmust be at a pressure which exceeds that correso spending to the temperature of the soap 1y: heated in the vessel. The air need not preliminarily heated, and therefore no costs are entailed in this respect. The space over the liquid filled with gas or steam should be kept as small as-possible, so that only a very small amount 0 air need be used. By this means the rise in temperature Wlll take 7 place in a much shorter time and no incrustationswill be formed on the interior walls of 99 the vessel.

Examples 1. Liquid, pure grain soap with a fatty'acid content of 60-64%, contained in a closed vessel, is heated from the'outside by means of a steam jacket to a temperature of (3., superheated steam at 10 to 14 atmospheres being simultaneously forced in the space above the soap, sothat the pressure in the vessel 3% le into t at part of (:5 V

. garded as v produced by any means, e. g.

vices, etc.

is always 3-4 atmospheres higher than the vapour pressure corresponding to .the temperature of the vessel. The liquid soap 1s then led to known atomization apparatus under the pressure prevailing in the vessel.

, 2. The process is carried out as in Example 1, only the pressure vessel is heated by direct firin and a stirring device is allowed to rotate 1n the mass.

3. The process is carried out as in Example 1 or 2, only that, instead of superheated steam, compressed air at 10-20 atmospheres is blown in.

4. The process is carried out as in Example 1, 2 or 3, only that, in place of pure grain soap, a grain soap is used which contains 10% water-glass and 5% soda.

I do not intend to limit myself in any way whatsoever to the details mentioned in the foregoing description and examples with regard to the methods of working, the temperatures, pressures, mixtures, heating de- Every working procedure and accessory thereto, in which soappowder is preared from liquid grain soap, more particuarly from filled grain soap, in such a way that the grain soap isheated in a closed vessel to a temperature above 100 0. with employment of the said means for preventing solid masses or crusts from setting on the walls of the vessel during the said heating, and the thinly'liquid grain soap, while still hot, is then supplied to an atomizing device by the pressure prevailing in the vessel and is thus converted, by means of a known atomization process, into soap powder is to be recoming within the scope of the present invention. In this way a dry noncaking powder is formed against an opposed current of air by means of any atomization apparatus; the air current need be only comparatively weak and, also need not be warmed. Since the heat content necessary for vapourizing the water contained in the atomized soap is", in the process which is the subject of the present invention, already present in the hot soap mass tobe atomized, it is not necessary, therefore, to supply it separately. I

More particularly is it to be remarked, that the heating of the pressure vessel may be from the exteriorby direct firing, by an oil or metalbath, by a steam jacket, by tubes enclosed in or welded on the walls (on the casing) heated by'steam, hot water under ressure, or hot oil. Also heating elementsoi any kind may be built or suspended within the vessel in the liquid. Also, in order to improve the heat distribution, a stirring mechanism of any kind may be arranged in any manner.

In the accompanying drawing, an apparatus suitable for carrying out the present invention is shown schematically by way of example. In this drawing 1 is a pressure ves- 8 is the steam jacket, 9 is the pipe for the freshsteam and 10 is the wastepipe for the water of condensation.

I do not limit myself in any way to the use of an apparatus which corresponds exactly to that shown in the accompanyin drawing, but the apparatus maybe modified as desired within the scope of the object of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A processior producing soap powder from liquid soap which comprises heating liquid soap in an enclosed space to a temperature exceeding 100 0., simultaneously injecting a gaseous fluid into the portion 0 the enclosed space above the liquid soap, and then atomizing the liquid soap under the pressure prevailing in the enclosed space.

2. A process for producing soap powder from liquid soap which comprises heating liquid soap in an enclosed space to a temperature exceeding 100 0., simultaneously injecting a non-condensible gas into the portion ofthe enclosed space above the liquid soap, and then atomizing the liquid soap under the pressure prevailing in the enclosed space.

3. A process for producing soap powder from liquid. soap which comprises heating liquid soap in an enclosed space to a temperature exceeding 100 0., simultaneously injecting a non-condensing gas into the portion of the enclosed s ace above the liquid soap, and then atomlzing the liquid soap under the pressure prevailing in the enqlosed space.

4. A process for producing soap powder from liquid soap which comprises heating liquid grain soap in an enclosed space to a temperature exceeding 100 0., simultaneously injecting compressed superheated steam into the portion of the enclosed space above the liquid soap, and then atomizing the liquid soa under the pressure prevailing in the one osed space.

5. A process for reducing soap powder from liquid soap w ich comprises heating liquid soap in an'enclosed space to a temperature exceeding 100 0., simultaneously injecting air into the portion of the enclosed space above the liquid soap, and then atomizing the liquid soap under the pressure prevailing in the enclosed space.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ADOLF WELTER. 

